Heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) systems are often used to control the comfort level within a building or other structure. Such HVAC systems typically include an HVAC controller that controls various HVAC components of the HVAC system in order to affect and/or control one or more environmental conditions within the building. In some cases, a user may be able to affect the operation of an HVAC system from a remote location, such as via a web site or an application program (also referred to as an “app”) provided on a remote device such as, for example, a user's smart phone. What would be desirable are methods and systems for improving the reliability and/or user experience of such a system, particularly when the HVAC controller is powered by a local power source such as a battery.